Understanding the Concepts
* Acceleration due to gravity (g): This is the constant acceleration experienced by objects falling freely near the Earth's surface. It's approximately 9.8 m/s². This means the object's velocity increases by 9.8 meters per second every second.
* Initial velocity (v₀): Since the ball is dropped, its initial velocity is 0 m/s.
* Final velocity (v): This is the velocity the ball reaches, which is 22.8 m/s.
Formula
We can use the following formula to relate acceleration, initial velocity, final velocity, and time:
v = v₀ + at
where:
* v = final velocity
* v₀ = initial velocity
* a = acceleration
* t = time
Solving for Time
1. Plug in the known values:
* v = 22.8 m/s
* v₀ = 0 m/s
* a = 9.8 m/s²
The equation becomes: 22.8 = 0 + (9.8)t
2. Solve for t:
* 22.8 = 9.8t
* t = 22.8 / 9.8
* t ≈ 2.33 seconds
Answer
It will take approximately 2.33 seconds for the ball to reach a speed of 22.8 m/s.